Garbage-can.



, Patented' June 24, I902. m. HATTDN.

GARBAGE CAN.

(Application filed Aug. 31, 1901.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

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140. 703,257. Patented lune 24, I902. J. MFHATTON.

GARBAGE CAN.

(Application filed. Aug. 3)., 1901.)

(N0 Mod 81.)

Whwweb THE noRms Pn'zns ccT. roYo-utuov, WASHINGTON, n4 0 UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN M. IIATTON, OF DES MOINES, IOWA.

GARBAGE-CAN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 703,257, dated June 24, 1902.

Application filed August 81. 1901. Serial No. 74,038.. (No model.)

T0 (LZZ who/2t it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JOHN M. I'IATTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Des Moines, in the county of Polk and State of Iowa, have invented new and useful Improvements in Garbage-Cans, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to garbage-cans and operating means therefor by which the can may be directed to any desired point and autoinatically dumped for depositing the contents thereof in a larger receptacle and placed at a distant point.

The improvements hereinafter described are designed with special reference to the requirements of persons living in flats or adjacent compartments, the apparatus of this invention enabling a number of garbage-cans to be directed from a series of points to a common receptacle into which the cans are adapted to automatically dump their contents.

The invention hereinafter described will be found especially valuable in bad weather-and in extremely cold weather, as the cans may be directed to a distant point and dumped without the necessity of the operator going out of doors.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement hereinafter described, illustrated, and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a trolley-supported garbage-can with a self-closing bottom and a receptacle to receive the contents of the can, together with means for tripping the drop-bottom of the can. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the. same, showing the means for tripping the latch which holds the drop-bottom of the can. Fig. 3 is a detail view showing the path of the movement of the drop-bottom of the can and the manner in which the tripping device folds to allow the bottom-holding latch to pass thereby in the return movement of the can. 'Fig. 4 is a detail bottom plan view showing the spring-hinge for the self-closing bottom of the can. Fig. 5 is a detail View of one of the can-hangers and trolley-wheels. Fig. 6 is a plan view of a large receptacle adapted to receive the contents of a series of garbage-cans and provided with an independent trip for each can.

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all figures of the drawings.

In carrying out the present invention I employ, essentially, an overhead trolley-wire 1, upon which the can is adapted to travel, said wire being supported by a post 2 or other suitable support at one end, while the opposite end of the wire or cable 1 may be connected to a building or to a suitable support adjacent thereto.

The can adapted to receive the garbage, and indicated at 3, may be of any desired form or construction, being shown for convenience as of the ordinary cylindricalform and provided with a covering-lid 4, having a surrounding flange 5 to fit over the top of the .can and be tween the side bars or terminals 6 of a suspending-bail 7. The cover or lid 5 is also provided with a suitable lifting-handle 8.

Connected with the bail 7 are hangers 9, consisting of"metal straps having one end rigidly connected to the bail 7 and the opposite end recurved to form a yoke-shaped portion, in which is received a shaft 10, upon which is journaled a trolley-Wheel 11, having a deeply-grooved periphery, so as to maintain the wheel in engagement with the trolley-wire 1. It will be understood that two of such trolley-wheels 11 are employed, and they are spaced apart, as shown in the drawings, sufficiently to prevent the can from swinging as it approaches the receptacle into which the contents of the can are to be dumped. Ordinarily an operating rope or cable 12 will be connected to the bail of the garbage-can, so that the can maybe retracted after dumping. In this connection it may be noted that the trolley-wire is preferably arranged at an inclination, so that the can will automatically traverse the'wire in the direction of or toward the receptacle, and said operating rope or cable may be Wound upon the windlass or operated in any convenient manner at a point adjacent to the building.

The can 3 is provided with a hinged and self-closing drop-bottom 13.

connected at one side to the can 3 by means of a spring-hinge 14, which operates to automatically close the bottom after the same has been relieved of the weight of the garbage or At the op other material placed in the can.

Said bottom is posite side the can is provided with a gravity-operated latch 15, pivotally mounted at one end, as at 16, on the can, and provided at its opposite end wit-h abeveled lip 17, having a catch-shoulder 18 adapted to engage under the drop-bottom and hold the bottom closed.

In order to trip the latch 15, I provide a bracket 19, which may be connected to the post 2 or other suitable vertical support, said bracket being provided with an upstanding terminal arm 20, to the end of which is pivotally connected a folding spring-trip 21. The trip 21. is connected to the arm 20 by means of a knuckle-joint having'abutting shoulders 22, which will allow the trip to fold outward or away from the post 2 and prevent it from folding toward the post, thereby normally holding the trip in an upright position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The can 3 in traveling toward the post 2 will cause the latch 15 to strike against the trip 21, and a farther movement of the can will cause the latch to be removed from under the lid, so that the latter drops while the latch, swinging on its pivot, passes over the said trip. The hinge-joint of the trip permits it to swing outward, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3, in order to permit the catch to pass it in the return movement of the can, and to return and hold the trip in its normal position I employ a positioning-spring 23, which is associated with the knucklejoint.

Beneath the bracket 19 is arranged a large receptacle 24, adapted to receive the contents of the can 3 when the drop-bottom thereof is released by the tripping mechanism described. Said receptacle 24 may be of the cylindrical form shown in Fig. 1, or it may be in the form of a half-cylinder, as shown in Fig. 6, and of considerably larger size, so as to permit a number of garbage-cans coming from different directions and at different angles on a series of trolley-wires 25 to reach a point over the receptacle. In using a pinrality of cans I employ a semicircular bracket 25, provided with a socket 25 to embrace the support or post 26 to secure the bracket thereto. The semicircular portion of the bracket 25 is provided with a series of trips 21 to correspond to the number of cans used. The trolley-wires 25 should preferably be arranged to radiate to a common support or post 26, arranged contiguous to or connected with the receptacle 24.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the garbage-cans may be directed from a building and the different flats or apartments thereof to the receptacle and automatically dumped without requiring the operators to go out of doors, which will be found of great advantage in bad weather. By inclining the wires downward toward the receptacle 24. the cans will be carried along by gravity and may be retracted to their initial positions by means of suitable operating ropes or cables in the manner above set forth.

I do not desire to be limited to the exact details of construction and arrangement hereinabove set forth, but reserve the right to change, modify, or vary the construction within the scope of this invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with a trolley-Wire, and a can mounted to travel thereon, and having an automatically-closing drop-bottom, of a receptacle arranged beneath the path traversed by the can, and a folding trip contiguous to the receptacle operating to release the drop-bottom.

2. The combination with a trolley-wire, a can mounted to travel thereon, a self-closing drop-bottom for the can, and a bottom-holding latch, of a receptacle arranged beneath the path traversed by the can, and a trip contiguous to the receptacle adapted to act on the latch, release the drop-bottom and fold to let the latch pass in the return movement of the can.

3. The combination with a trolley-wire, a can mounted to travel thereon, a self-closing drop-bottom for the can, and a bottom-holding latch; of a receptacle beneath the path traversed by the can, and a spring-positioned trip contiguous to the receptacle adapted to trip the latch, release the drop-bottom and fold to allow for the return movement of the can.

4. The combination with a trolley-supported traveling can, having a self-closing dropbot'tom, and a bottom-holding latch; of a receptacle beneath the path traversed by the can, and a knuckle-jointed trip contiguous to the receptacle and arranged to cooperate with the latch.

5. The combination with a support; of a series of converging trolleywires secured thereto, cans mounted to travel on said wires and having self-closing drop-bottoms, latches for supporting said bottoms, a common receptacle adjacent to the convergent ends of said wires, a semicircular bracket provided with a socket to embrace the support, and a series of trips mounted upon the circular portion of said bracket.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN M. IIATTON.

WVitnesses:

REBECCA K. MATTHEws, ANNA M. HATTON. 

